England’s coach has said there is no ‘magic formula’ to overcome the All Blacks but can call upon plenty of experience from his time in charge of Australia

As Eddie Jones was keen to stress, there is a big difference between knowing how to beat New Zealand and actually doing it. “It’s not like Pythagoras’s theorem,” he said on Monday. “I don’t think there’s any magic formula.”

True, but never before have England had so much inside information on the All Blacks at their fingertips. In addition to the vastly experienced Jones and the English representatives on last year’s Lions tour, the home side can also call on the former All Blacks coach John Mitchell and Brad Shields, until recently the Hurricanes captain in Super Rugby.